Workplace Conflict Management Training for Employees
Your team deserves more peace, healthy co-worker relationships, and less interpersonal stress. That’s exactly why Pollack Peacebuilding exists: to help companies, just like yours, achieve peace and productivity. We design and implement instructor-led conflict resolution and conflict management training workshops and seminars for employees, managers, and executives at organizations around the world. Our conflict management training and resolution workshops can be held live, in-person, or online virtually through video, with the option to earn a certification.
Rated #1 in the industry for conflict management and resolution training for employees, our workshops are dynamic, interactive events, specifically geared toward improving communication skills and managing workplace conflicts more efficiently. We customize each workshop for every client organization to create (and measure) REAL behavior change!
Available On-Demand Courses
Difficult Conversations
Certified Workplace Conflict Specialist™ (CWCS)
Conflict Resolution 101
How to Disagree Respectfully Workshop
Online Workplace Mediation Training Course
Online Unconscious Bias Training Course
Conflict Management Basics
Managing conflict is one of the most vital skills for a manager, but most managers do not learn much about it in their business school education, or even from mentors early in their careers. People tend to assume that, just because managers tend to have good interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence, managing conflict will come naturally to them.
Your innate problem-solving skills and a little bit of beginner’s luck may enable you to resolve some of the conflicts that arise in your workplace, but you cannot just rely on intuition every time conflict occurs. People have so many different conflict styles that, unless you have an expansive set of strategies to address conflict, your workplace will soon be overrun with unmanaged conflict.
Conflict management is an essential skill for managers and team leaders. It is important to recognize that healthy conflict among co-workers is a normal, and perhaps even an inevitable, part of collaboration.
What to Expect from Our Training Course
- A brief overview of conflict psychology and theory
- How to identify early warning signs of intensifying conflicts
- Improved communication skills
- Better listening skills
- Constructing 3-part assertion messages
- Enhanced ability to understand and attend to co-worker needs and feelings
- Mediating disputes between team members, and between employees and customers
- Guidance handling difficult clients or customer disputes
Why Workplace Conflict Management Can’t Wait
The negative effects of unresolved conflict in the workplace become noticeable almost immediately. If you do not have the skills needed to handle tense situations, employee morale will suffer, and so will your company’s bottom line. Therefore, participating in conflict management training sooner rather than later is a cost-effective thing to do. You might even be inspired to alter your company policies to accommodate different styles of communication.
Believe it or not, poor management is one of the most common causes of conflict in a productive work environment. In order for co-workers to make a fruitful effort to achieve common goals, they must first have an idea of what those goals are. The manager must articulate the goals clearly but give the employees enough flexibility to choose the most suitable ways to achieve them.
More planning on the manager’s part now means less conflict down the road. By trusting your employees and adopting a high-responsibility, low-control approach to management, more of your problem-solving efforts will be spent on the creative process and not on nitpicking about the manner in which you want your employees to work.
Step-by-Step of Our Conflict Resolution Training
Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in our conflict management training. We can also develop programs for teams of any size around the globe.
Step #1
Assessment
Before we can create a successful conflict resolution training program, we need to understand your organization and how it operates. During this step, we’ll discuss specific pain points so we can include them in the training. For example, your staff may need to develop better communication skills, or they may need to work on their problem-solving skills.
Step #2
Training Design
We understand that conflict occurs at any time, and your team may respond better to different conflict management styles. During this stage, we work hard to incorporate as many details as possible to ensure you know how to resolve workplace conflict whenever it happens. We lean on our expertise and field experience to customize a training program that meets your unique challenges.
Step #3
Training Delivery
Pollack Peacebuilding only provides expert practitioners in peace and conflict management. These practitioners conduct each workshop, unlike other conflict management training organizations, and our trainers make sure to put their knowledge into practice. Not only are they full-time organizational peacebuilders, but they only bring to the seminars what they know to be effective based on past experiences.
Better Conflict Management Can Prevent Legal or Financial Problems
The cost of better conflict training for companies is incredibly lower than the potential lawsuits and public relations fiascoes that result from poorly handled internal disputes. Additionally, the cost of conflict in the workplace is much more staggering than most people realize.
At PPS, we are passionate about improving the employee experience and the overall office environment. We keep company values, policies, and interests in mind while we train employees to effectively communicate with each other in order to create happier, more productive working atmospheres.
Other Benefits of Improving Conflict Management Skills
- Optimized interoffice relationships
- Better interpersonal communication
- Stronger company culture and commitment
- Solution-focused problem-solving towards personnel challenges
- Ward off spiraling conflicts that could lead to legal and financial damages
- Constructive conflict turns into improvement opportunities
- Less time spent managing problems
- Happier, more productive work environment
Resolve conflicts before they begin, grow, and/or festerTo discuss conflict management training for your company or agency, contact PPS today. We’d love to help improve your workplace environment.
Why Train with Pollack Peacebuilding
When you participate in a de-escalation workshop, we do not simply blow into town, do our spiel, and then disappear. Rather, we are there to mentor you and your team before, during, and after the training. These are the steps of the training process:
#1 All Trainings are Customized
Your company is unique, so you need customized conflict resolution training. Generic conflict management skills will not deliver the results you need, which is why we work with you to develop a comprehensive training curriculum.
We start with expert-developed formats, then tailor our program (in-person classes or online workshops) to suit your unique goals and objectives.
#2 We Train All of the Team
Our workplace conflict management training offers more than the standard conflict resolution and prevention techniques often geared toward a select group of company leaders. Instead, our interactive conflict management workshops integrate all of your employees in a short and efficient training program that improves rapport, promotes team-building, and fosters increased productivity.
#3 We are Subject-Matter Specialists
Conflict resolution training for healthcare workers is much different than for company executives or customer service representatives. The best way to learn how to resolve conflicts is to practice with real-world situations that your team will encounter regularly.
Pollack Peacebuilding System is not like other conflict resolution training companies. We are conflict resolution specialists, renowned for developing programs specialized in your industry or field. We know how to tailor organizational conflict management training accordingly.
#4 Trainings Led by Expert Practitioners
While it’s possible to learn communication skills and conflict management strategies by reading, the best teacher is experience. We also know that the best way to relay high-quality conflict resolution practices is to use expert practitioners who work within your industry.
This setup is beneficial in a couple of different ways. First, you get a more comprehensive training program that shows you how to resolve conflict within your organization. Second, because our conflict resolution practitioners work in the field, they can offer valuable insight. Typically, you can develop a better conflict resolution process than you would with a generic program.
FAQ
What is Conflict?
Conflict is a state of opposition, a clash between seemingly incompatible elements. It’s when our goals, desires, values, or even our personalities rub against each other the wrong way. This can spark feelings of frustration, tension, and possibly anger.However, conflict isn’t necessarily negative. It can be a signal that something needs to change—a catalyst for pushing boundaries and reaching new solutions. Here are a few types of conflict we might encounter:
- Interpersonal Conflict: This happens between individuals, such as coworkers, friends, and family members. A misunderstanding, feeling disrespected, or a fight over something personal can create tension.
- Intrapersonal Conflict: This refers to the internal struggle within ourselves. We may be torn between conflicting desires or feel pressured to conform to others’ expectations.
- Group Conflict: Departments within a company, sports teams, or even political parties can clash as goals diverge and competition sparks.
- Organizational Conflict: Sometimes, the very structure, procedures, or policies of an organization or workplace create situations where needs feel incompatible, fueling wider conflict.
What are the Different Types of Conflict?
Everyone in management must develop effective conflict management skills despite the different ways that disputes surface. Being adaptive is the only way to keep disputes from impeding employees’ career advancement.
- The Slow Broil: These conflicts started a long time ago and have continued to build. Most of the team is aware that something will happen, as it’s not a question of “if” but “when”. As a result, long-standing tension courses through the workplace, causing prolonged stress which may even affect the health of your employees. Fortunately, workplace conflict management training workshops can successfully resolve this type of conflict before it becomes a bigger problem.
- The Big Bang: These conflicts are sudden and usually take people by surprise. They can be anticipated, but the factors often go unnoticed. This tends to be very distracting and particularly detrimental to productivity because other employees may become curious and begin to speculate as to the nature of the problem. With conflict resolution training, however, your employees can help avoid escalating rumors and even preventing the entire episode from happening in the first place.
- The Surprise: These conflicts arise despite previous efforts at resolution, which can be frustrating if you have already tried to work with both parties to resolve the problem. This type of recurring conflict is just another reason to invest in a professional workshop for your entire staff. If everyone on a team starts on the same page about how to engage in conflict management, they can hold each other accountable when resolving it in the workplace.
The one thing that the slow broil, the big bang, and the surprise have in common? They all can be mitigated or prevented by conflict tools. Of course, managing these types of conflict is not easy for everyone. When deciding on the best course of action in dealing with this at work, consider how conflict resolution training workshops may be of benefit to you.
What is the Difference between Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management?
Does Pollack Peacebuilding offer online training as well?
What causes workplace conflict, and how does it affect employee morale?
Workplace conflict is typically caused by miscommunication, clashing personalities, unclear expectations, or competing priorities. When unresolved, it can quickly lower morale and create an environment of stress, disengagement, poor communication, and mistrust.Even minor conflicts can ripple through a team if left unchecked. Employees may feel unsupported, anxious, or undervalued, leading to decreased productivity, higher turnover, and burnout. Recognizing these early warning signs of unresolved conflict is key to creating a healthier, more collaborative workplace culture and better workplace dynamics.
Why is workplace conflict resolution training important for employees?
Conflict resolution training equips employees with the tools to handle disputes constructively, rather than reactively. These skills help individuals communicate more clearly, manage emotions, and reach agreements that support team cohesion. When employees handle preventing conflict together, it fosters a more positive work environment where they can resolve disputes quickly.Organizations can reduce friction before it escalates into major disruption by training staff in proven techniques, like active listening, reframing, and de-escalation. Conflict resolution training boosts employee confidence and reinforces accountability and shared responsibility in workplace dynamics.
What is Pollack Peacebuilding Systems’ approach to conflict management?
Pollack Peacebuilding Systems takes a human-centered, preventative approach to conflict management. Our approach addresses root causes and promotes long-term solutions. Our methodology is grounded in empathy, active listening, and evidence-based communication strategies.Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, Pollack Peacebuilding tailors our training to each organization’s unique culture and needs. Our conflict resolution strategies and programs blend coaching, facilitation, problem solving, and strategic planning to empower teams to proactively address tension and maintain a respectful, productive work environment.
How do conflict resolution programs benefit employees and organizations?
Conflict resolution training improves communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence among employees, leading to more respectful and efficient teams. It results in fewer human resources incidents, stronger leadership, and better overall organizational performance.Investing in conflict resolution is a short-term fix and a long-term strategy. It reduces workplace stress, builds trust, and cultivates a culture of open dialogue. This improves employee satisfaction and retention and strengthens an organization’s ability to innovate and adapt.
What challenges can arise during conflict resolution, and how can they be overcome?
Common challenges include emotional defensiveness, lack of trust, power imbalances, differing viewpoints, and poor communication habits, all of which contribute to a toxic environment. These obstacles can make it difficult for employees to listen to one another, express needs clearly, or agree on a way forward. Effective communication techniques can drastically improve team dynamics as the individuals involved resolve issues through difficult conversations and open communication.Pollack Peacebuilding helps teams navigate these challenges through structured frameworks and interactive exercises, encouraging empathy, clarity, and perspective-taking. Their facilitators create safe environments where individuals can be heard and understood, laying the foundation for meaningful, lasting resolution. Most workplace conflicts can be resolved with respectful communication between the parties involved. At Pollack Peacebuilding, we guide teams through proven conflict resolution strategies that foster understanding, rebuild trust, and create lasting solutions.
Industries Served
Other Services
- Conflict Resolution Services
- Conflict Management Training
- Conflict Management Services
- Communication Skills Training
- Conflict Coaching
- Change Management Consulting
- Fractional Ombudsperson
- Keynote Presentation
- Organizational Systems Design
- Workplace Culture Optimization
- Conflict Resolution Certification
- Online Mediation Services
- Online Conflict Resolution Training
- Restorative Practices